


Karma's a Bitch

by orphan_account



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, One sided, Percico - Freeform, percabeth, solangelo, this time nico does not have a crush on percy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-05 13:06:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3121262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After three years, Percy is dying to see everyone. He gets quite a shock, though, when a certain gloomy boy is no longer the same as he remembered. </p>
<p>*rated for future content*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my excuse to kind of torture Percy a bit. I still love him, don’t worry. I never did quite forgive him for the way he treated Nico.

Hazel was practically humming with excitement in the seat next to Percy. Three years. It had been three years since he had last seen Camp Half Blood. Not that he’d meant to be gone that long. But life had taken him by surprise. Senior year had been the toughest year of his life, even without the random monster attacks. If it hadn’t been for Annabeth, he would have either (a) failed or (b) gone bat shit crazy. And to be completely honest, he had almost done both. At least he had graduated. He would never ever forget the look on his mom and stepdad’s faces as he had walked across that stage. Best feeling in the world. Including that of saving the world. Twice.

So that had been one year of his life gone. He hadn’t expected college to take up the remainder. But in complete honesty, it had been really nice. Every night he got to sleep in the same bed with the best girl in the entire world and know that he wasn’t going to be eaten or maimed or anything else that monsters generally tried to do with half-bloods.   
“I can’t believe we’re going to see everyone!” Hazel was now bouncing up and down shaking the back seats of the sleek black SUV. Percy often forgot that she had been away almost as long as he had. Centurion duties had been brutal on her. But she had stepped up to the task with strength and poise. She was a natural leader. Percy was proud. 

“How big you think Jason’s gotten?” he asked.   
“Why? Are you going to try and turn that into a competition as well?” Hazel smirked at him. Frank was laughing beside her.   
“N-no! As a friend, I’m genuinely curious. Of course, I’m concerned about Piper as well.”  
Out of his peripheral, he saw Annabeth roll her eyes. She was immersed in some book that he was having trouble reading the title of. Seriously, how did she read so fast? The car was jostling up and down like crazy, not to mention his anxiousness was causing his ADHD to go into hyper-drive.   
“I’ve seen both of them in a recent iris message. They haven’t changed that much.” Hazel paused. “Well, maybe Piper. She’s gotten prettier, if you can believe that.”   
“Have you spoken to anyone else?” 

Hazel’s eyes cast downwards. “I haven’t been able to talk to Nico in a while. I pray he’s doing ok.”  
Right. Nico. Percy remembered the last summer before he’d left camp. Nico had been…well he’d been less gloomy than normal. He had seen him participate more in camp activities and the like. They had even sat together during dinner at times. Although, the conversations-if you could even call them that-had been more like pulling teeth than anything. After Nico’s confessions about his feelings, both of them had behaved in a rather awkward manner around each other. There was so much that Percy had wanted to say. But he’d never found the right way to say any of them. _Hey I’m glad you just had a crush on me and that you didn’t hate me like I thought you did. Totally makes me feel less guilty about all the bad things I’ve ever thought about and done to you!_ Yeah….that didn’t exactly cut it. Nico was just one of the people that Percy hoped to mend things between. 

“We’re here!” Frank had his head stuck out the window like a dog. Percy almost suggested he turn into one. Sure enough, Percy spotted the familiar looking strawberry fields and then the golden archway that served as the entrance. In the distance he could faintly make out Thalia’s pine tree.   
The black SUV pulled into the camp. Annabeth finally put down her book and anxiously looked out the windows. Several campers were already swarming around the vehicle. Percy tried to scan them all, looking for familiar faces. He spotted two of them. Before the car could even come to a halt, Hazel had already thrown the doors open and jumped into the arms of Piper and Jason.   
“Oh my gods, Hazel you’re so much taller!” Piper had Hazel practically off the ground spinning her around. She was dressed like she always was. In faded jeans and a ragged t-shirt. Her hair was braided down the side with a feather attached to the end. Hazel was right, though. She had gotten prettier. 

Annabeth bounded out of the car, practically knocking Percy to the ground and joined them. He had forgotten how much she had missed them. Jason came up beside him and clapped him on the back. Then proceeded to pull him into a bone crushing hug. Wow, he’d gotten stronger.   
“Dude, take it easy you’re going to kill me before I even make it to the Big House!” Jason released him with a sheepish grin on his face.   
“Sorry, bro. Just good to see you.” His face grew dark. “Not like you ever bothered to iris message us or anything.”  
Now it was Percy’s turn to look guilty. “Yeah…sorry ‘bout that. College is tough, man! Do you know how many books I’ve had to read? Tons! And none of them are the least bit interesting.”  
“Yes, they are Seaweed Brain. You’re just too dense to appreciate any of them.” Annabeth was glaring at him underneath the refuge of Piper’s arm. Jason threw his head back and laughed.   
“You guys haven’t changed at all.”

Percy sized Jason up. He looked the same as three years ago. Same strong build, chiseled jaw, and short hair. He was a little taller and something about his posture seemed less…statue like. Like he had finally figured out how to be less of a soldier.   
“You haven’t changed much, either.” Percy was secretly glad about that. If his life was going to be changing constantly, it was nice to know some things were going to stay the same.   
“You have to come to the Big House.” Piper said. “Chiron is dying to see you. He won’t admit it, but I can tell he’s missed you.”  
Hazel, Piper, and Annabeth were already starting across the lawn. They were completely immersed in conversation, the boys completely forgotten about. Percy went to go after them but Jason caught his arm.   
“What?”   
Jason looked at him as if to say, ‘duh.’ “Dude, you’ve been gone for three years and you have to ask? Have you even been swinging that bronze sword of yours around?” Percy smiled, liking where this was going.  
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”  
Jason grinned at him wickedly. “Oh, yeah.”  
*****  
Ok, so sparring with Jason after not having practiced in a while probably wasn't such a good idea. Jason easily bested him and knocked the sword out of his hand with ease. It was embarrassing how quickly winded he’d gotten. So as a last resort, he’d summoned a huge tidal wave to wipe that stupid smirk off of Jason’s smug mug. He’d instantly been blown halfway across the field and had smacked into a nearby tree, promptly breaking his right arm. That had been a huge blow to his pride.   
“Ouch!” He jerked away as Will Solace tried to set his arm back in place.   
“Only here five minutes and you’re already in the infirmary.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Jackson. I think you’ve set some sort of record.”  
“It wasn’t my fault,” he said lamely. As Will was wrapping his arm, Percy got to really look at him. The healer was still the same height, a confident 6’’ ft. His sun blonde curls were sweeping into his face and he still had the same dark brown tan that Percy remembered. He was wearing cut off shorts and a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Something flickered in the back of his mind. He faintly remembered Nico hanging around him a lot. If he recalled correctly, he had been the first person Nico went to after confessing. 

“So…uh,” he started to say something but his throat felt constricted. Will looked at him with a bemused grin on his face.  
“Stunned by my good looks?” At the horrified expression on Percy’s face, Will threw his head back and laughed. “I’m just messing with you, man. Just spit it out already.”   
It was hard to feel uncomfortable around Will, so Percy continued. “I was, uh, just wondering how Nico’s been. I haven’t seen him yet.” A brief thought flashed into his mind. What if Nico wasn’t even here? He could have easily ran off.   
“Nico’s great!” The affectionate tone caught Percy off guard. “You just missed him, actually. Usually he helps me with stuff around here. He said he was going to go practice. You should be able to catch him at the sparring range.”  
Percy’s head was practically spinning. Nico helping out in the infirmary? The idea sounded ludicrous. He couldn’t imagine Nico would willingly help out anywhere. Especially where the sick and injured were involved. 

“You look surprised.” Will cocked his head quizzically. Percy’s hands shot up in defense, earning him a smarting pain.   
“Watch it! You’re still not completely healed yet.”   
Percy winced, nodding. “Maybe I should go check up on him.” He almost missed the flicker across Will’s face. But just as quickly, he was back to all smiles.   
“Yeah, you totally should. I’m sure he’s missed you. Just don’t break your other arm this time.”   
Percy shot him a look and stalked out of the infirmary, Will laughing behind him.  
***  
Hazel must have gotten the same idea as he, as she was currently walking beside him swinging her arms like a small child. When they reached the top of the hill where the arena was, she started full on sprinting. In the distance, Percy saw a figure swoop her up and spin her around, laughing. Percy’s jaw hit the floor when he spotted him. 

Nico di Angelo was _not_ the same scrawny boy he had left behind three years ago. No, it was like puberty had been a truck and slammed into him at full force. His skin was no longer pale white and sick looking. His olive complexion had come back in a healthy glow. His jaw was more contoured, having lost the last of baby fat. His muscles, although not huge, were definitely there and defined. He wore a cut off orange tank top which was drenched in sweat.   
He had his hair, which no longer hung in rags around his face, pulled into a loose pony tail. It glowed a healthy raven black. He nuzzled his face in Hazel’s hair and kissed her several times on the forehead. Nico caught his stare and looked up at him, smiling. And that smile was probably _the_ biggest difference. It was radiant and startling all at once. It was like a scowl had never ceased to cross his face, wouldn’t even dream of doing so. And suddenly Percy was transported back when that smile had been just ten years old and dripping with innocence. 

“Hey Percy,” he shook his hand in a light wave. “It’s nice to see you again.” His voice had a tint of shyness, although barely perceived. He had a certain confidence about him. Even the way he held himself was different. Nico no longer slouched and tucked into himself like he wanted to disappear. No, Nico stood tall and proud with his hand poised on his hip like he was ready to take on the world.   
Percy suddenly realized how clammy his palms had become. Briefly in the back of his mind he wondered what had overcome him all of a sudden. He chalked it up to having not seen him in years. Yes, that was it. Shock. Plain and simple. He wiped his hands on his jeans and offered one to Nico. He hesitated, then took it and shook it strong and quick.   
“Why are you being so formal, Percy?” Hazel’s voice startled him. He had almost forgotten she was there. “It’s not like he’s a stranger. Stop acting weird and get over here.” She had her arms wrapped around Nico’s waist gesturing for him to come join. 

A hug. She wanted him to hug Nico. He swore his knees turned to jelly right then and there. Nico held out his hand in a placating gesture. “It’s ok, Hazel. You know I’m not that big on the whole touchy-feely thing.” He grinned down at her. “Besides I’m sure Percy’s still weirded out by everything.”   
Hazel looked back and forth between them in confusion. “What do you mean?”  
The crush. Oh gods, he was talking about the crush. And suddenly it seemed so bizarre that he was the one that was so hung up about it. Nico didn’t seem to mind one bit. If he did, his face betrayed none of it.   
“I used to have a crush on him years ago.” Hazel’s eyes had gone wide, her head whipping-almost comically-back and forth.   
“You did?! Why didn’t you ever tell me?” 

Nico suddenly looked embarrassed, an expression that seemed so much more like his past self. “It’s not something I wanted to talk about exactly. I was, um, kind of ashamed of the whole thing.”  
“You shouldn’t have! Geez Nico, I’m your sister. Give me some credit for god’s sake.” Her eyes flashed dangerously. Nico kissed the top of her head in a placating gesture.   
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide things from you.”  
She huffed but looked pleased. “It’s fine, I guess. You can make it up to me later. Besides, Percy’s a good guy. I’m sure he wouldn't halt a friendship as something as harmless as a crush.”  
“Yeah,” Nico grimaced slightly, looking at him with a pained expression. “I’m sure he wouldn't.”   
Percy realized he was still standing there gaping like an idiot. Why couldn't he make himself move? This was Nico! He was obviously still hurt over the fact that Percy had practically avoided him all summer. He needed to make amends. But, damn, why was it so hard to get his feet to move?

Hazel sensed the tension. Her sudden scowl directed towards him told him as such. “I’m going to go and check in with Frank. You guys can stay here and clear the air.” She kissed Nico on the cheek and cast Percy a frightening glare on her way past him. As soon as she was gone, Percy’s senses seemed to heighten into overdrive. He was suddenly very, very aware of how close he was standing towards Nico.   
“I would ask you to spar, but it looks like you’ve already been busy in that department.” He nodded towards Percy’s arm.   
“Y-yeah, Jason and I got pretty overzealous.” His attempt at light laughter seemed to bubble out of his throat in a hitched cackle. Percy didn’t overlook how Nico’s eyes had hardened into a steely glint.   
“Right.”  
“So, um, how are…things?” It was a lame attempt, which he knew and wasn’t at all surprised by the biting response he got.

“Really? ‘Things?’ That’s all you’ve got to say to me? After three years, you’re still fucking hung up about everything?”   
Part of Percy’s mind was shocked at the sound of the curse. The other part couldn’t quite stop staring at Nico’s mouth.   
“Look Jackson, I—.” The sound of a conch wail cut through the air, cutting him off. Nico sighed. “We’ll talk later, I guess.” Then he jogged back across the grass where the dining hall was, leaving Percy alone with his own thoughts and not knowing how to exactly process them all.


	2. Chapter 2

Percy Jackson had a problem. A huge problem. It was becoming increasingly more apparent as-for the third time in a row-he found his attention sliding over to where Nico was sitting with the Apollo cabin. If it weren’t shocking that he was sitting there in the first place, his mannerisms were even more so. He watched as Nico laughed with ease as one of the members of cabin seven started doing something funny with his hands. Will Solace sat beside him, rolling his eyes but joining in all the same. Nobody seemed to find it odd that Nico was sitting there. In fact, the Apollo kids were treating him as he were one of their siblings. It was all very strange and not for the first time that evening Percy found himself wondering why he cared so much. 

“Earth to Percy!” Jason threw a breadstick at him. “Dude, what’s up? You’ve been spacy all evening.”  
Percy threw the breadstick back at him. “Shut up!”  
Hazel eyed him angrily from across the table. “Maybe it has something to do with my brother,” she said icily. Four pairs of eyes whipped around to stare at him.  
“Why would you be staring at Nico?” Annabeth asked.  
“Admiring how handsome he’s gotten?” Piper’s comment sent him sputtering into his blue Coke, spitting it everywhere. Piper howled with amusement.  
“Piper!” Jason looked at her in shock.  
“What? Oh come on, I notice these things. Puberty has done Nico nothing but favors.”  
“Still, why would Percy care?”

Percy wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. “I don’t!” He said it a little too loudly which didn’t go unnoticed by Annabeth. She stared at him quizzically but thankfully didn’t decide to push the issue. He could have kissed her for it.  
“I don’t think that has anything to do with it.” Hazel’s voice was practically dripping with venom. “I think it has something to do with a certain crush Nico had for a certain someone.”  
Jason suddenly looked enraged. “Still?! Dude, you got to get over that. Do you know how much Nico beat himself up over that? Do you know how awful he felt? He was crushed when you all but ignored him all summer.”  
“It’s not like I meant to do it!” And Percy meant that from the bottom of his heart. He sincerely didn’t care that Nico had liked him or that Nico liked boys at all for that matter. His stupid, awkward self just hadn’t known how to approach the issue. Nico was adamant on his stance to not talk about it. But how did you just not talk about something like that? He hadn’t meant to put further strain on their relationship. And now? His thoughts flickered back to how Nico had looked on the practice field. How toned he had become. How _alive_ he was. He shook his head. Now things were just downright weird. 

“Well, even if you didn’t mean to you still need to clear the air.” Jason said.  
“I will! I will!” Percy was pretty sure that if he didn’t do something, Hazel would run him through with her spatha. He had never seen her look so angry. It didn’t suit her. How was he even going to approach him, though? He wasn’t about to walk up to him during dinner. _That_ surely would not end well.  
“You can find him in the infirmary after lunch, usually.” Piper said, seeming to have read his thoughts. He shot her a glare trying to convey his gratitude.  
“What’s the deal with him helping Will out anyway?” Percy said. Piper and Jason shared knowing glances. Piper smiled up at him.  
“It’s not our business to say.”  
Jason looked about ready to burst, though. All throughout dinner Hazel kept trying to wheedle answers out of the pair but they weren’t budging. As for Percy, he just couldn’t wait until this was all over with. 

***  
To say Nico was upset would be an understatement. He was downright furious. And a little heartbroken to be honest. He had expected for Percy to act weird about the whole thing. He’d even expected to be yelled at or even turned away in disgust. Being ignored, however, was somehow far worse. He had desperately avoided Percy for most of the summer, even sometimes crying into his pillowcase at night. He felt so damned ashamed of himself. He hadn’t wanted to lose Percy. Not like this. Even if he no longer liked him in that way, he still wanted him as a friend. He still admired him, although he no longer blindly worshipped him. Percy would never know how much it hurt him when they would faintly meet gazes and then Percy would break it in a matter of seconds. Nico could see the disgust in his eyes. He could see the awkwardness. He wasn’t blind. Or stupid. 

And he sincerely thought he’d gotten past it. Being with Will had helped tremendously. He had shown him that there was nothing wrong with how he felt. That he was normal. More importantly, he was normal. So when he had seen Percy and could still detect that disgust in his eyes, he was ashamed of how much he let it depress him. There would always be that part in the back of his brain that would never let him forget the pain and hate he had felt for himself back then. Maybe that’s why seeing Percy again had hurt so much. Nico could never forget that part of his past.  
He knew Will could sense how he was feeling. He felt a hand slide onto his thigh discreetly under the table. His stomach gave a little lurch. Will had meant it to be comforting, but it had the exact opposite effect. Nico tried to control the reddening of his cheeks. Will, the smug little bastard, knew what affect he was having on him. Will smiled at something one of his siblings said. Nico, for the life of him, tried to get into the conversation but every word around the table seemed to have been submerged in water and came out in a garbled mess. Will was now sliding his hand back and forth, up and down, getting closer into the danger zone. Nico gripped his fork far harder than necessary. He thought about slamming it into Will’s hand. 

Nico had not always been like this. It had taken him months to let Will actually touch him-namely just holding hands. And then several more months for them to casually kiss when no one was looking. But then Will _had touched him._ He remembered exactly when it happened, too. Remembered how on the eve of his seventeenth birthday Will had slammed him into the wall of the Hades cabin with a fevered look on his face and suddenly he was kissing him everywhere. Up his neck, down his collar bone, leaving a trail of angry red marks in his wake. Warm hands had slid down into the crotch of his pants and stroked him in a way he would never forget. How he had turned to putty in the healer’s hands as he had unzipped Nico’s pants and pulled him out and into his mouth.  
Nico shivered at the mere memory. He remembered how good it felt, how the feeling of release flowed into him in absolute ecstasy. He looked down and realized he was getting hard. Will knew it too. He saw him smirk out of the corner of his eye and then his hand was sliding up and palming him through his jeans. Nico had taken to biting the end of his plastic fork to keep from moaning. Will just laughed at something Kayla had said. 

Finally, _finally_ the bell rang and signaled the end of lunch. He all but hauled Will off the bench and across the courtyard. Will was almost completely breathless when they reached the infirmary. Nico pulled him inside, used his heel to kick the door shut, and slammed Will up against the wall. His mouth was on his instantly, tangling in a clash of tongues and teeth. There was nothing gentle in Nico’s actions. Instead it was a hot and hurried mess and a ferocious urge to be against him. He threaded his fingers through Will’s curls and yanked slightly. He dug little half-moons into his scalp which resulted into Will letting out a soft grunt. He pulled away from Nico, panting.  
“Someone’s eager,” he said, laughing. 

“I’m a seventeen year old boy who’s just discovered his libido. What did you think was going to happen?” Nico growled into his ear, nipping at the bud and pulling it with his teeth. His voice was a low sultry purr and Will found himself gasping as it tickled his ear. “And what was that stunt in the mess hall?” Nico rutted his knee against Will’s crotch to emphasize his point.  
Will gasped and threw his head back. “I just figured you could, ah! Use a distraction.” Nico was assaulting his neck with his lips and teeth. He pulled a section of skin in and sucked on it. Only Will knew how aggressive and dominant Nico could be when turned on like this. It was a little thrilling actually and he felt a surge in his pride as he reveled in the fact that only he had seen Nico like this. “So I figure you don’t want to talk about Percy?”

Nico stopped what he was doing and huffed. “You guessed correctly.” He smiled and slowly moved his head in lower, capturing Will’s bottom lip with his own. He sucked on it audibly and let it fly back in place with a pop. “Do you _want_ to spoil the mood?” He slid his hand down and past the hem of Will’s shorts. “Because I certainly don’t want to stop.”  
And _gods_ , Nico meant it. He didn’t know how possible it was to ache so much from want and desire. It’s like Will had reached inside him and flipped a switch. It was almost embarrassing how quickly he could lose all inhibitions and succumb to his basic of needs. But on the other hand, it made for a _great_ distraction. 

He quickly undid the buckle on Will’s pants and let them fall to the ground with a thump. Nico rammed his knee against Will’s crotch again and watched in ecstasy as he practically humped his leg like a dog. His mouth was slacked, face a lustful red. Nico reached and swiped the drool that had slipped out with his thumb. He kissed him again, this time slower and more tender like. Will’s moans were muffled by the kiss, vibrating in his throat. His hands slipped up Nico’s tank, itching to feel him. He swiped his thumb across his nipple and was rewarded with a needy keen bubbling from Nico’s mouth. 

Nico’s hands reached down and pulled him out of his shorts. Just the feeling of his boyfriend’s warm hand grasping him was almost enough to send him over the edge. He started jerking him off in quick, staccato movements and Will just wanted to lean his head back and bask in the feeling of it all. But a more rational part of his brain, the part that hadn’t been hijacked by hormones, clicked on. It was already after noon and he knew the Ares kids were at the sparring arena. 95% of the time, somebody got injured and Will would have to patch them up.  
He grasped Nico’s wrist, signaling him to stop. A pair of brown eyes flicked up at him in question and annoyance. “What?”

“We have to stop. If we continue, someone will see us.”  
The whine that escaped Nico was downright adorable. “Will, I don’t think I can stop.” He pulled Will’s hand over the bulge in his pants to prove his point. “I’m already too far gone.”  
Will didn’t want to admit that he was too. But there was no way he could work under these conditions. So he nodded. “Ok, but only for pure medical purposes.”  
Nico snorted. “I really don’t care how you rationalize it.”  
Will pulled out his phone to text Kayla that she would need to take over, then he and Nico slipped out the door and in search for privacy.  
***

Percy had headed towards the Big House with full intentions to pull Nico aside and talk to him. He was going to do it after dinner, but Nico had sprinted away so fast that Percy couldn’t even get a word in. He did follow him, though. He didn’t know what had overcome him to do it. He was usually all about giving people their privacy. He approached the Big House, just as Nico and Will were slipping inside the infirmary. Although, it was more like they had fell in. Nico had Will by the neck and was kissing him furiously. They didn’t break contact once, which Percy was a little impressed by. And also a little turned on. And that fact alone, scared him to death. 

He didn’t know what had happened to his mind. Maybe some spirit or eidolon had come in and stole it and he was really possessed. But there was no mistaking that urge in his private area that seemed to squeeze even tighter as he watched the two. Well, mostly Nico. He had never seen him like that before; so marred by his emotions and physical desire. It was strange as he never pictured-or thought to picture-Nico in that state before.  
And maybe it was the strangeness that had him peeking in the nearest window and at the assorted details before his eyes and struggling to mask the need to palm himself through his jeans. He could hear the panting and the moaning slipping out through the cracks of the door. Nico’s in particular were high and desperate sounding, almost like a woman but still deep and guttural. It had to be one of the most tantalizing and provocative sounds he had ever heard. 

As soon as the thought entered his head, he wanted to shake himself. _No, that honor belongs to Annabeth. Annabeth is the one you love, she’s the one you desire._ He launched himself away from the window and around the side of the wraparound porch. He kneeled over, grasping his knees, and tried to still the beating in his heart. Tried to quiet the hunger in his abdomen. Why was he even having these types of thoughts? He did _not_ like Nico. At least not in that way. The whole purpose of him being here was so that he could try and salvage their friendship. But then he kept replaying those moans and became weak in the knees all over again. 

He was still 100% sure that he loved Annabeth with all his heart. He grasped at that thought and clung to it for dear life, just like he had when he’d been dipped in the Styx. But when Nico and Will clambered down the steps of the building and towards the direction of the woods, he found himself following them anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note: this story is 100% solangelo. There will be no percico except from Percy's side. I also don't intend to just throw Annabeth in the dust, either. I respect her a great deal and her relationship with Percy. So I intend to handle it with utmost respect. Please be rest assured :)


	3. Chapter 3

Will had lost count on how many times he and Nico had fucked in the woods. It’s not that they had some outdoor kink or anything. It was just that there were only so many options for privacy. Although Will was beginning to think they were testing the boundaries on most of them. Nico was currently straddled on his lap, kissing up his neck and jawline. Every few seconds he would grind his hips down in such a way that would send Will reeling. 

He never would have suspected that Nico could be so domineering. He had been so shy and closed in when they had first started dating. Even after he had loosened up a bit and had grown more comfortable around the people at camp, he was still a little reserved. Nico di Angelo was not a person who showed his true face to just anybody. Maybe that was why Will was so turned on. He took a secret pride in knowing that only he had ever seen Nico like this. 

Nico pushed him farther down into the dirt and began kissing him. “Distracted?” His voice was low and husky and went straight to Will’s groin.   
“N-no,” he murmured, not at all in a convincing manner.   
“You were thinking about something.” Nico was back to kissing him again. His tongue was currently inside his mouth, licking along his patella, making it very hard talk. Or even think, for that matter.   
“I was thinking about-ah!” Nico’s hips rutted down again making contact with his erection. “I, ah, forgot what I was going to say.” 

Nico laughed, a sound that Will would never tire from hearing. His jeans were being undone and shoved down to his knees. Nico immediately attacked his pelvic region, his hot breath ghosting through the fabric. Will’s eyes closed and his head thudded back against the earth, lost to the sensation. The opening in his underwear was now being pried back. He felt something wet and warm close around him and he groaned loudly. 

“You’re getting better at this,” Will said propping himself up on his elbows as to better see his boyfriend. He could see Nico’s face redden through his bangs.   
“Are you going to bring that up every time I blow you?”   
“Maybe when it stops being funny.”   
“It was one time!” 

Will snickered. He motioned for Nico to turn around so he could prepare him but apparently he was having none of that today. Will’s pants and underwear were yanked down to his ankles and he gasped when he felt something run itself along his backside. Nico held out his palm.  
Will immediately knew what he was after. He reached for the medical pouch that was clipped to his jeans. It was magical, which meant he could pull almost any supply that he needed out of it. Stethoscopes, needles, bandages, and apparently condoms and lube. 

Twenty minutes later and Will’s leg was wrapped around Nico’s shoulder as his boyfriend furiously fucked him. His nails clawed deep into the dirt as his prostate was repeatedly brushed against. His mouth was embarrassingly slacked open and drool was sliding down his chin. But right now, he didn’t give a damn. All he could do was cling desperately to Nico’s back as he felt himself growing closer and closer. 

He cracked open one of his eyes and immediately regretted it. The erotic look on his boyfriend’s face was almost enough to make him cum right then and there. His face was flushed a deep crimson and slick with sweat. Nico had his bottom lip shoved between his teeth and was slightly nibbling on it. His eyes were half lidded and had that faraway, spacy look that was standard when you were wrapped in pleasure. 

Will reached up to kiss him but ended up awkwardly kissing his eyeball instead. Nico crinkled his nose and let out a laugh, then slowly brought their mouths together. The kiss was entirely different than their current pacing. It was sweet and languid and Will could taste the saltiness of himself on Nico’s tongue along with the usual syrupy sweetness he always seemed to taste like.

It was a kiss that had been built by lots of practice and had evolved into something that seemed to completely convey what the other was feeling.   
Will brought his hands up to thread his fingers through Nico’s hair. He brushed away the strands that clung to his forehead, guided him down to where he could reach and kissed that too. Nico made a soft noise that sounded like ‘love you’ and then Will’s entire body seemed to contract and hum as he came. 

\--  
Percy didn’t know what he would have done if it hadn’t been for Jason. He had been halfway to the woods when Jason had spotted him and promptly dragged him away. They were now sitting in Cabin One as Jason, for the third time, apologized for spraining his arm. 

“Don’t worry about it, bro. I deserve it for being so out of shape.” Jason laughed at that.   
“Yeah, it was pretty bad. Seriously though, what have you been doing? I know for a fact that Camp Jupiter has sparring ranges.”

And some impressive ones, too. They far surpassed anything the Greek camp had. Hundreds of weapons to choose from, training dummies or real dummies-who wanted to take the risk-and elaborate obstacle courses that had made his head spin. “I was, ah, too busy trying not to flunk out of school.” 

Jason hummed in understandment. Percy had long ago stopped feeling inferior because of his disabilities, mainly because so many people around him could relate to it. Also, almost dying constantly helped to put things in perspective.   
They chatted like that for a while; just two friends trying to get caught up after years apart. It felt just like old times where both could laugh and talk about anything. Jason told him about his travels because of his Pontifex Maximus title and Percy told him about how many times he’d been yelled at because of how unsightly his room had been. Jason found that very amusing. 

“Seriously, I got yelled at one day because my shirt wasn’t tucked in! And I was just going to get something to eat.” 

Jason doubled over in a fit. “That’s definitely one thing I don’t miss.” 

They started talking about their girlfriends and how nice it was to finally be able to be with them without wondering if the other was going to die. Spending those years with Annabeth had been the best of his life. Being able to see her every day and talk with her about the stupidest stuff. Or even just being able to sleep against her and know that she would be there in the morning. Kissing away each other’s nightmares and just enjoying being able to wrap her in his arms without the fear of a kung fu addicted satyr coach or a screaming coffee table.  
A warm feeling spread throughout his body whenever he thought of her. How she smiled, how her nose crinkled when she laughed, or even how her finger twirled around one of her blonde curls when she was deep in thought. 

But then the shame crept in. How did he even have the right to think about her when he was having all these other confusing thoughts? 

Jason must have sensed his change in demeanor because he suddenly asked, “Are you alright?” 

Percy almost lied, but then something stopped him. Maybe Jason could help him. He knew far more and was closer to Nico that he could ever hope to be. And he had the feeling that if he didn’t do something, the situation would get far worse. 

“Actually,” he paused unsure how to proceed. Gods, how was he even going to word this? “Um, well I kind of need to ask you something.”   
“Shoot.”   
“It’s about…Nico.”   
Jason’s stormy blue eyes widened in confusion. “Is this about our conversation earlier? Have you not talked to him yet?”   
“Well I was going to and uh, something sort of stopped me.”   
“Like what?” 

So Percy told him about everything he had experienced over the last few hours. He left out the most sorted details, mainly to spare Nico’s privacy. And he sure in the hell wasn’t going to mention how close he was to doing something with his body that he knew he would later regret. 

In the end, Jason just laughed at him. “Seriously? That’s what’s been eating you? Geez, dude, you’re more dense than I gave you credit for.”  
“Hey, this is a serious problem! I, in no way, like Nico that way!” 

Jason laughed even harder. “Well, of course you don’t idiot! Anybody who looked at you and Annabeth could tell how head over heels you are for each other. Of course you don’t like him.”

All of the tension seemed to leave Percy’s body. It was nice to have someone else audibly confirm it. “So what am I feeling then? Because I sure as hell don’t know.” 

“You’re mistaking lust for nerves. You’re just surprised and anxious from seeing him after all this time. And also probably a little guilty over how you left things. So your body is just compounding all that into what feels like desire.”   
Percy stared at him. “How do you know all this?”

Jason cut his eyes upward. “Percy, we’re guys. Hormonally charged guys, I might add. On some days, I can just look at a guy during sparring practice and pop a boner. Does that mean I want to jump him? No. it just means that it really sucks to have a dick.” 

Ok, now that made sense to him. Could all this seriously be just from hormones? Jason certainly made it sound like it was. He sighed and flopped back on the bed, laughing. 

“Feel better now?”  
“Gods, yes!”   
“Good,” Jason said. “Now go find Nico, talk it out, and then I guarantee you you’ll feel better.” 

Percy nodded, got up and clapped Jason on the shoulder. “Thanks, bro. I owe you big time.” He was almost out the door when he remembered something. “Um, please don’t mention this to anyone ok?” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, bro.” Jason blew him a fake kiss.   
Percy flipped him off and flew out of Cabin One with Jason’s cackling echoing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No homo, bro
> 
> (Finally updated! Woo! Sorry for the wait. Been busy with school. I hope you all like this chapter! Comments keep me motivated!)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heart felt convos for everyone!

Turns out finding Nico wasn’t an easy feat, so Percy headed for the showers instead. It was probably some sort of cruel, poetic justice that Nico came in just as the cold water blasted him from behind. Nico regarded him with a chilly stare but said nothing; just threw off his shirt and the rest of his clothes with an angry huff and climbed into the stall next to him. Percy tried not to think about why he needed a shower in the first place. 

Each cabin used to have their own showers, but that was quickly disbanded after the Hephaestus kids blew up an entire toilet and managed to completely destroy the sewage system. That had not been the best day to be at camp. 

Percy stared down at his feet in earnest and tried not to focus on the stall next to him. He needed to say something but this seemed like an odd place to have a heart to heart. Percy could already hear Jason laughing at him. Finally he just decided to wing it. 

“Hey,” he began. Nico looked at him out of the corners of his eyes in surprise. “We, um, sort of need to talk.”  
“Here?” Nico’s cheeks pinked a little. “Can’t we do this later when we’re not…you know-.”  
“Naked?” Percy finished for him. 

Nico huffed out a breath at his bluntness. With his hair down, it reached his neck easily. Hiding behind the black strands was an angry red mark. Nico must’ve noticed him staring because he quickly slapped a hand over it. 

“Just tell me what you want already,” he growled. His brown eyes were practically stabbing him.   
Percy had rehearsed what he was going to say a million different times in his head. Each version had managed to come out more poetic than the last. He figured the Apollo kids would be proud of him. In the end all that came out was, “Uh.” He wanted to slap himself. 

“Uh?” Nico repeated. “Is that it?”  
“N-no!” Percy added quickly. Gods, why was this so hard? He had always prided himself on being good with words, at least in the honest sense. He was good at reading people and knowing exactly the right thing to say. Maybe it was because Nico’s expression was so stony or because the events of the day were still rattling around in his head. Whatever it was, his mouth had gone dry and was flopping open like a trout. 

Nico shakes his head and Percy knows that he’s about to blow it. “Wait,” he cries. Nico freezes, his brown eyes boring into him. For a split second Percy sees the same hope and pureness that he remembered in them seven years ago; before life had come and destroyed every ounce of childhood innocence. And whatever spell that seemed to have possessed him the entire day broke. 

“I’ve been an idiot.” Percy says more to himself than Nico. 

“Is that supposed to be surprising?” Nico cracks a small smile and just hearing him make a joke at all seems to dissolve all the awkwardness and Percy finally feels like himself again.   
“I’m sorry,” Percy says finally. “I-I know you think that I’ve been avoiding you because I was grossed out by the whole crush thing…but that’s not true.”   
A portion of Nico’s mask slips and he can tell how much his words mean to him. “Y-you’re not?” 

“No! Gods, no. I was-well-I just felt guilty. Everything suddenly made sense. Why you did all the things you did. You risked your life for me and Annabeth again and again. And you did it knowing how things were between us and I just kept thinking how hard that must’ve been for you. 

And-well I couldn’t even look you in the eye because I felt so bad. I felt like I should have tried harder, done more to make things up to you. I probably hurt you more times than I ever even realized. And no amount of words seemed to be able to express what I wanted to say to you. How badly I wanted to fix things between us. Instead, like an idiot, I just avoided you and made things worse. And for that I am truly sorry.” 

Percy’s breath hitched and his chest constricted like he had just run a marathon. A cold shiver snaked down his spine and for the first time, he realized how nervous he really was. Nico’s eyes were wide in shock and again it surprised Percy how much he looked like his ten year old self. 

The silence seemed to stretch on for hours but it was only a few seconds before Nico responded. “You’re placing too much blame on yourself. It wasn’t your fault that I had a crush on you. How could you even have known? I-I was so terrified and ashamed of that part of myself. I pushed it far, far away; deep down inside of myself.”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, though.” The urge to say that was so strong, that it burst out of him before Percy realized he probably shouldn’t interrupt. 

“I know that, now.” A small smile flickered across his face. “But you have to understand that I had been running from it for so long, that when you showed up and-and…”Nico’s voice hitched. He took a deep breath and began again. “Well to put it mildly, the strength of my feelings for you threatened to drown me. I hated myself. And that hate was just easier to project on you, on Annabeth even.   
It would have been so much easier to just hate you or hate Annabeth for taking you. But I couldn’t. And the fact of that alone, made me hate myself even more.” He let out a long sigh. “Loving you was hard, Percy. It wasn’t at all like love is supposed to feel like. It was agonizing and painful. I realize that now. I know now how love is supposed to feel.”

It was strange to hear Nico speak so candidly. There had always been a wall so strong and concrete built up around him, that it was impossible to penetrate. For the first time, Percy felt like he was seeing the true side of Nico.

“It wouldn’t even have mattered if you had known. I would never have let myself grow close to you. Never would have allowed myself the luxury of embracing my feelings for you. At least not then. So that’s why you shouldn’t feel guilty. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Percy didn’t agree with that. “I still should have talked to you, though. After you told me that day, I mean. I shouldn’t have avoided you.” 

Nico let out a barking cruel laugh. “I was so angry at you for that. But the truth was, I avoided you just as much. Truthfully we probably couldn’t have even been friends then. Everything was still so fresh and awkward. I needed to accept myself completely for what I was, what I am.” 

“What changed? You don’t seem to have any embarrassment from talking about it now.” If he did, Percy didn’t notice it. A blush crept across Nico’s cheeks and suddenly Percy understood. “It was Will, wasn’t it?”

“N-not completely! Reyna helped a lot. But Annabeth was probably the one who helped the most.”

“Annabeth? She never said anything.” 

“That’s because I asked her not to,” Nico said. “But she’s the one who encouraged me to be more open about it and explore my sexuality on my own terms. Her analytical explanations for everything made me feel a bit better about it.”

Suddenly the water became ice cold and Percy yelped out a curse. He flipped around and shut the faucet off with a bang. Nico stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. His laugh was high, melodic and contagious. Percy soon found himself laughing right along with him and together they laughed and laughed; all the while dripping wet, naked and looking like idiots. 

Percy wiped the water from his eyes and said, “So, uh, can we start over maybe? We never really got the chance to be friends, so maybe we could now?”   
“Yeah,” Nico smiled at him bright and warm. “I’d like that.” 

~~  
That night, Percy felt better than he had in weeks. When Annabeth snuck in sometime later, he found that he was able to think about her and _only_ her. He pulled her to him and kissed her. Everything seemed to fly out of his brain after that and sleep was put off for a while as they just basked in the feeling and closeness of each other. Afterwards she lay tucked under his chin, her curly blonde hair damp with sweat and splayed around her face. Percy felt like the luckiest guy in the world. He didn’t need anything else as long as she were here by his side. 

“Hey,” he whispered. His voice seemed a lot heavier drifting through the dark. “I need to ask you something.”  
“If it’s about round two, then the answer is no.”

“No!” Although he had to admit, he had been thinking about it. “I talked to Nico today.”  
“Good,” she hummed. “It’s about time.” 

“He said you talked to him. How you helped him work through things. What did you say to him?” 

Annabeth shifted out from underneath him and regarded him with her stormy grey eyes. “I just told him about the Kinsey scale and how everyone was on it. I also explained that since he’d been stifled by growing up in a conservative decade, that he was probably harboring a bit of internalized homophobia and that if he ever wanted to have a successful relationship he would need to come to terms with himself.” 

Most of her words, like they always did, floated over his head. Percy had no idea what the Kinsey scale was or how it applied to everyone but he wasn’t about to start questioning Annabeth’s logic now.   
“What about you?” She asked. 

“What about me?”   
Annabeth sighed, which he had come to recognize as her ‘do I always have to explain everything to you’ sigh. “I mean, if we hadn’t started dating as young as we did, would you have found any other gender attractive?”

At first he wanted to shout, ’No, of course not! I’ve always been straight!’ But the more he thought about it, the more he wasn’t so sure. Finally he just said, “It’s always been you. I can’t picture loving anyone else.” 

Annabeth let out a small hum of approval.   
“Why do you ask?”   
“I saw the way you were looking at Nico today.”

Suddenly his stomach dropped and he turned fifty degrees warmer. He was about to protest or at least try to explain himself but she didn’t sound upset. “I can assure you that I don’t like him that way!”

She laughed. “Well, of course you don’t. Sexual attraction and emotional attraction are two entirely different things. We have both, as a relationship should, if it hopes to function properly. Sexual attraction can occur with anybody, although it doesn’t necessarily mean that we should pursue those people. It just means we find them physically appealing.” 

“Are you saying that I find Nico sexually appealing? Cuz, I’m not entirely certain I can wrap my head around that.”

“Look Percy,” she said. “We began dating at a young age. One of the downsides of this, is that neither of us were able to explore different sides to ourselves. Being who we are, we’re almost guaranteed a short life. We don’t have the luxury of exploring our sexualities. If we’re lucky enough to find someone we love, we better hold on tight because the future isn’t certain. 

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that we fell in love young. I’m just saying that in doing so, we didn’t get to explore our complete selves. Let’s say for instance, I hadn’t met you and fallen in love with you. Who’s to say that I wouldn’t have gone on and met a girl that I liked? I’ve certainly found Piper visually stunning, even Reyna for that matter. So you finding Nico or even Jason physically appealing doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

His brain felt like it was buffering. Her explanation sounded a lot like what Jason had said earlier, albeit more wordy and complicated. “So, you’re not mad at me?”   
Annabeth cut her eyes upward. “No, Seaweed Brain, I’m not. Maybe the illogical and more emotional part of my brain was, but I know deep down in my heart that you would never do anything to hurt me.” 

“Good. Because I never will.”   
“I know.” And with that said, Annabeth tucked herself back underneath him and closed her eyes. 

“Annabeth,” he whispered again two minutes later. “I really don’t want to kiss any of my friends.”  
“Thinking about it and wanting it are two different things, you know.”

“Does that mean you’ve thought about kissing Piper?” Suddenly images of the two surfaced into his mind. He quickly pushed them deep, deep down as he felt going there would be dangerous territory.   
Annabeth made no attempt at answering him and he felt that if he kept pushing, he would anger her. So instead he snuggled up and kissed her forehead and tried for sleep. The last thing he remembered thinking was that it was going to be really hard to look at his friends tomorrow.   
~~  
Percy honestly thought that he would have a dreamless sleep. Instead he found himself in a plain marble room where a figure was materializing in front of him. From what he could tell, the figure had rich golden curls and enormous dazzling white wings spread out from his back. They spanned about five feet each when they were fully unfurled. 

“Who are you?” Percy asked. 

When the figure had fully formed, Percy was stunned by his beauty. His cheek bones were high and chiseled and his muscles thickly cut and defined. He looked like a statue that Michelangelo himself would carve. His eyes, though, were dangerous and cutting. They reminded Percy of someone, although he couldn’t place his finger on who. 

“I am Anteros.” The god-well Percy figured he was a god-spoke high and demanding. 

“Anteros? I-I’m not aware of who you are.” Percy quickly added, “No offense!” 

The god simply smiled. “Most people aren’t until they’ve done something to warrant my attention.”

“Your attention?” Percy’s stomach was pooling with dread. Had he seriously already pissed another god off?  
“You see,” Anteros continued, “I am the god of requited love. I am also the avenger of unrequited love. And you, Perseus Jackson, have caught my attention.” 

Percy knew immediately what he was talking about. It couldn’t have been anything else. “We worked that out, though!”

“Yes, I know.” The god said ruefully. “That wasn’t at all how I thought things would play out.” 

“What do you-?” And then he understood. “It was you!” He cried. “All this time I thought I was-gods, I was humiliated today because of you!” 

“Just be lucky I didn’t make you hurl yourself off a cliff. That’s what I did to the last guy who earned my wrath.”

Suddenly Percy recognized who this guy reminded him of. He remembered a snowy evening back when he was only fourteen and the most beautiful woman in the world had approached him and promised to make his love life interesting. 

“You’re the son of Aphrodite, aren’t you?” 

“Aphrodite is my patron. I serve under her along with Eros and Himeros. We were present at her birth and for centuries have overseen all sorts of love whether it be passion, lust, requited or unrequited. We spurn those who disregard its nature.”

“I don’t understand. Nico got over his crush years ago. Why are you just punishing me now?” Percy was shaking. He never liked Aphrodite and her cruel nature in dealing with love. This guy was exactly the same and it was taking all of his control not to spit in his face. 

“You say ‘crush’ like it’s just simple puppy love. Nico di Angelo had no crush on you. No, he was head over heels for you. It called to me all those years and I sensed his longing, his pain. I simply couldn’t ignore it. You see, I have a soft spot for the homoerotic nature of man. So you can see why he captured so much of my attention.”

“That doesn’t mean you can just force me to like him! Or anyone for that matter! Love doesn’t work that way.”

Anteros threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, little demigod, what do you know of love?” 

“A hell of a lot more than you!” As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake. The god’s eyes grew heavy and stormy and Percy knew he was in for it. 

“Just you wait, little demigod. You have not truly seen all that I am capable of. And trust me, I have plenty in store for you.” 

With those words, Anteros disappeared and Percy woke up drenched in a cold sweat and a feeling of dread in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was seriously considering making this my last chapter, but then I realized I hadn't included some things that I really wanted to. Maybe the next chapter will be the final one. Who knows!
> 
> Also just to be clear, if anyone's worried about where this is headed I can promise two things: percy/nico friendship will prevail and percabeth and solangelo are not going anywhere. So rest assured readers!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear this chapter is just sexual tension between jercy and Nico being the sass baby that he is.

When Percy told Annabeth about his dream, her stormy grey eyes clouded over and she looked angrier than Percy had seen her in a while. “Stupid gods,” she spat. “Haven’t they done enough to us already? I swear this is just as bad as—“

“Don’t say her name!” 

Annabeth’s lips pinched together. Percy knew how badly she wanted to curse at Hera. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than that.  
“Fine. I won’t mention the stupid cow’s name.” 

Percy snickered. They had promised one another that something as minor as this wasn’t going to come between them. Percy, not for the first time since coming here, was thankful for the strong bond he shared with her.  
Also, the guilt that had raddled his brain had all but dissipated. At least he knew those feelings hadn’t been real. He thought back to his conversation with Nico and relief flooded into him all over again. All in all, he felt pretty good for a guy who had just pissed off another god.  
*~*

When he went into the dining hall that morning, he spotted Jason and Nico sitting together; their breakfast already laid out in front of them. Jason was tossing some grapes at Nico, whose head was drooping into his pancakes. 

“Dude,” Jason greeted him as he sat down. “How many points you think I can make until he gets mad?” 

“How’s it scored?” 

“Five if it grazes his chin. Ten if it bounces off his nose. My personal best is 50.”

Percy whistled. “That is impressive.” He steals a grape and launches it at the snoring teen. Suddenly Nico’s eyes fly open and he impressively angles his head enough so that the grape flies straight into his mouth. “You lose.” 

“Damn,” Percy mutters. Jason laughs at him. There’s no pressure in the air. No weight of broken promises or unsaid words. It feels really nice. Jason must’ve noticed the change. 

“So I’m guessing you two worked things out?” 

They meet eyes and Percy being Percy blurts out, “Yup. Nothing like a heart to heart between two bros.” 

Nico shudders and for a second Percy thinks that he is mad. “Please don’t lump me in with Jason. I don’t want to be a part of whatever bromance you two have going on.” He waggles his fork at them.  
Percy could feel his face heat up like a lit match. Jason howled beside him. 

“Aww, come on bro. You know it’s true.” 

“Dude, I swear to gods, shut up.” 

Jason makes a kissy face at him. “Come on, bro. Don’t be like that!” He makes a grab for Percy’s waist but Percy manages to dodge it which results in him falling backward off the bench. Half the population of camp turns around to look as a weird dying cat sound projectiles from his mouth. Jason doesn’t even try to hide his heaping laughter. Meanwhile Nico looks like he’s trying really hard not to spit his drink everywhere.

Percy crawls back onto his seat. He punches Jason roughly in the shoulder. “You trying to make me look like an idiot?” 

“You manage to do that pretty well on your own.”

Somehow their back and forth results in a tangle of limbs and arms, both trying to succeed in pushing the other one off the table again. Jason’s breath is dangerously close to his ear and an involuntary giggle slips out. It comes out strangled though, as Percy’s head is currently locked between Jason’s arms. He bangs his hand on the table and uses the other one to gain leverage by yanking on to a few strands of Jason’s crew cut. 

Finally Nico, who from Percy’s perspective is upside down, stands up. “I’m out. This is getting too gay even for me.” 

“Wait,” Percy wheezes. “Where are you going? We should catch up some more.” 

“I’ll be down at the sparring field. You can come by when you manage to hold a sword without injuring yourself.”  
“Did-did you just make a jab at me?”  
Jason’s grip on his neck tightens. “You kinda deserved that one after yesterday, bro.”  
*~*

Nico walked to the practice field practically giddy. His and Percy’s conversation yesterday had left an almost permanent bright spot on his mood. 

_‘He doesn’t hate me,’_ he thinks. 

He hadn’t realized until now how much that had been important to him. Some part of him, he guessed, even now was still vying for the son of Poseidon’s approval.  
When he got down to the field, most of the kids already had their armor on and were currently trying to see who could stick the pointy end of the sword through each other first. He sighed and war flashbacks from his younger days flooded through his mind. 

_Gods, I was really pathetic._

To prevent any potential injuries, he shadow traveled the rest of the way. The kids went scattering as he burst forth into the middle of the field in a purplish hue of darkness. Instead of running scared, though, the young demigods clapped with delight. When Chiron had first suggested that he teach kids how to fight, he had been adamant in his refusal. The last thing he needed was to traumatize any of them with his underworld powers. But Chiron had been stubborn and Nico needed something to do, so he went with it.  
Surprisingly none of them were scared. In fact, they downright worshipped him. He became known as one of the cool instructors. One who would summon skeletons from the earth as fighting dummies. For the first two weeks, a small horde of children could be seen following him around and peppering him with question. 

_‘Did you really live in the Underworld?’_

_‘Is your father really Hades?’_

_‘Can you really disintegrate monsters with just a wave of your sword?’_

_‘Could you create a zombie apocalypse?’_

He had pretended to be annoyed. But it was nice having people think his powers were awesome for a change instead of weird or creepy.  
Today he paired them up in groups and had them work on their blocking and defensive maneuvers. None of them took the exercise seriously, because having a skeleton tear off his own arm as a makeshift weapon was supposedly hilarious.

Everything was going smoothly until his idiot of a boyfriend walked up behind him. “Hey, babe. How’s everything going?” Will slung his arm around his shoulder and pulled him in for a kiss. 

Nico’s face suddenly became 50 degrees warmer. Will had that embarrassing effect on him where he could always manage to turn his usual calm and collected manner, into a complete awkward mess. 

A chorus of ‘oh’s’ quickly echoed around him. “Why is your face so red?” He heard one of the kids’ shout. 

Nico buried his face in his hands, peeking out through his fingers at Will. “Solace, I swear to gods I am going to kill you.” 

The bastard just flashed that irritating grin of his and put his arms behind his head. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding one bit sorry in the least. “Didn’t mean to interrupt anything.” 

“You should be sorry. You need this class more than they do.” 

Will mockingly glared at him. “Nah, I’m good.” He winked. “You can give me some private lessons later.”

_Please, Dad just kill me now._

Thankfully Percy chose that moment to come waltzing in with Anaklusmos swinging at his side. “Hey Jackson.” Will greeted him. “How’s that arm doing?” 

“Better, thanks to you.” He gave his arm a few demonstrative pumps. “Any chance I could get in on the action?” He gestured towards the kids, who suddenly looked all too eager to beat up the new comer. 

“You should take it easy.” Will cautioned. “You don’t want to re sprain it.” 

“Nah, man. I have to at least get some shred of my dignity back.” He locked eyes with Nico and grinned. “How about it, dude? Let’s give them a worthy demonstration.” Cheers went up and already a ring of excited spectators were being gathered around them. 

Nico’s fingers leaped towards the hilt of his sword, practically itching with elation. He could already feel that familiar tingle in his body. It had been way too long since he had fought with a serious opponent. “You’re on. But none of our usual powers. I don’t want to tear up half the courtyard.” 

“Deal.”

They shook on it. 

Suddenly the air became charged, almost crackling in its tension. Everyone else must’ve felt this too as they instinctively backed away several feet. Will, who was leaning up against a leather practice dummy, crossed his arms and his medical face slipped into place. 

They circled around each other, sizing the other one up. Nico could tell that Percy’s form lacked the usual tightness and his grip on Anaklusmos’s hilt wasn’t nearly as balanced as three years prior. But he didn’t dare underestimate him. Percy was strong even if he was out of practice.  
Sure enough, when Percy lunged he was fast. So fast that Nico barely had time to dodge to parry his blow. He spun around and kicked out with his left foot, landing square into Percy’s chest. He stumbled backward and let out a cough. 

“Dude, ow.” 

“Don’t expect me to go easy on you, Jackson.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of asking you to.” With a grin, he lunged forward again but instead of going for Nico’s chest, he rolled forward and used his momentum to swing his leg out. The ground rushed towards him as his face compacted with the earth. Hard. Distracted by the pain, he barely registered a golden gleam coming towards him. Thankfully years of training kicked in and he rolled away just in time to prevent his brain from being skewered. 

The fight quickly settled into a speedy rhythm. Both were almost on equal ground to one another and it took all of Nico’s skill to just keep on the defensive. Their swords seemed to soak in all the tension that had gathered between them throughout the years. Soaked it in and quickly obliterated it. 

None of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was here in this moment and two friends who, no matter what, would continue to fight for one another. Yes, Percy had broken his heart but he was still that boy on the mountainside near Westover Hall who had stood before Dr. Thorn, ready to die to defend him and his sister. He had never allowed himself to see Percy as anything more as an enemy, as an unrequited crush. As a painful memory to his secret shame. But as he watched Percy dance around him and grin with the near tangible energy of their fight, he was ready to let all that go and start seeing him as a friend. 

Then Anteros showed up and all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty, pretty sure next chapter will be the end. But again, nothing is set in stone. I'm just glad I could get a quick update in.

**Author's Note:**

> I have half of the other chapter written. Comments keep me motivated!


End file.
